Ace of Spades
by Xiolancer
Summary: Part of a mini series "The Hunter and the Death Knight" co-written with lakrar1201. No info needed to follow story. Traveling to Dragonblight is interupted by a not quite so regretable incident. Please read and review!


**Hey all, lakrar1201 and myself are co-writing this miniseries so please check out his oneshots based on the adventures of these two! You'll find that my oneshots are from Kuro's POV and Lakrar's are from Kael POV.**

**Important****: You don't need to know any kind of background information to follow this series, each oneshot is pretty much a story in its own right. **

**Disclaimer: Warcraft belongs to Blizzard**

The Hunter and the Death Knight

Ace of Spades

An annoyed groan from above alerted her that her companion had finally awoken. Her cold gaze swept across the Inn to the upper floor of rope hammocks that lined the wall. Her companion was sitting up rubbing away at his eyes, a long yawn followed shortly after. Beside him at his feet sat a large wild cat that answered to the name Tai. It's piercing yellow eyes ever watchful.

She patiently sat and waited by the hearth as he gathered his belongings. Idly watching the flames flicker; she took notice of the Innkeeper Morag as he cooked boar bacon strips that sizzled furiously on the stone pan. The sense of hunger no longer had a biological effect on her senses; the pleasure of consuming good food was no longer felt. Not even the smell reached her. The life for the Death Knight Kuronox was not an easy one.

"By the gods, that smells absolutely delicious!"

The Hunter by the name of Kaeldenas leisurely strolled down the wooden steps to the bar below. His long unruly crimson hair was chaotically tied back. As a Blood Elf, he exhibited angular features and high cheek bones like herself. Blood Elves were always known for their beauty.

He sat cross legged across from her followed by Tai who lay beside him. A feral hunger was clear in his eyes. The sound of a grumbling stomach suddenly touched her ears.

"Please eat quickly Kael, we have a lot of ground to cover today and I don't want to waste time" she grumbled.

"Okay just chill out Kuro, I'll take as much time as I want"

No more was said as Morag served Kaeldenas his breakfast on a discoloured clay plate. Kuronox sat displeased as she watched him eat deliberately at a slow pace, savouring each bite. He looked down at Tai who met his gaze with a craving expression and he melted instantly.

"Here you go boy!" he smiled, throwing his pet some of his breakfast. The cat savagely tore into the meat eagerly.

Once they were set to leave, they strolled out into the Valley of Strength, the busiest sector of Orgimmar. Grommash Hold overlooked the forum; the Horde's beacon of pride and strength. Flags bearing its symbol draped at the entrance. The stench of sweat and the kicked up dust filled the air. It was never a pleasant smell, but one that reflected the continuous hard labour that was executed daily.

Kaeldenas suddenly let out a load whistle, a note that seemed to carry across the winds. To Kuro's ears, the noise sounded bizarre. Flying down from the sky, a shadowy blue steed, entirely made up of celestial energy, landed in front of them. Twinkly stars formed its shape; created in the depths of the Twisting Nether, who he affectionately named Equuleus. The horse was truly a magnificent site to behold. As Kael mounted him, Tai leaped up behind him.

Kuronox then began to summon; light energy formed at her feet as she muttered an incomprehensive incantation. The earth began to crumble around them which caused Equuleus to take flight in fear. The ground split apart as a large paw extended out from the depths. A large titan lion emerged from the rocks, its molten white mane shone in the sunlight. The lion was heavily equipped for battle; a thick armoured harness caressed its colossal shape. Its wings then unfolded as it let out a tremendous roar that shook the earth back together. The lion had received the name of Androcles. The two soared to the upper ledge that looked over the capital where the Zeppelin Towers stood. They made their way up the chosen tower and waited.

"So we make haste to Dragonblight correct?" Kuro asked, lazily watching the Orc grunts at work.

"Indeed" Kael replied "I doubt we will get there by nightfall though"

"And whose fault is that?" she gave him a sidelong smirk.

Kaeldenas frowned at her for a few seconds before sliding into laughter. Kuronox even managed a small chuckle.

The ride to Northrend was long and tedious. Kael couldn't help but notice the increasing anxiety that Kuro began to show throughout the trip. The glow in her cold gaze slowly began to intensify with her growing hunger for battle.

_Keep it together…keep it together…keep it together…_

She walked back and forth down the centre of the ship, her movements controlled and ridged. She knew Kael was staring at her. Whether it was with concern or unease, she deliberately did not look his way.

_Keep it together…keep it together…keep it together…_

The mantra continued in a frail attempt to rein the overpowering sensation that she knew could be disastrous. One false move or slip in her control and…

_Keep it together…keep it together…keep it together…_

She gripped the base of her nose between her thumb and index finger. A small action of anxiety compared to the raging emotions that stormed within her. As she turned to walk back up towards the stern of the ship, her gaze caught the site of Tai who was stretching out a few feet away from her. She visibly gulped and quickly looked at her feet and continued to pace.

"Tai…"

The cat's ears pricked up at the sound of his master and promptly padded up to Kael. He stroked the back of Tai's head who purred in reaction.

"We should be there soon" he said

Kuronox simply nodded, not daring to even speak.

As the airship made port at Warsong Hold, Kuro practically dived off the side of the zeppelin and made a beeline towards the exit. Not caring that Kael was calling after her.

Outside she gripped her axe and charged at the first spider-like creature that was lurking outside. With an enraging cry, she embedded her axe into the skull of the creature who screeched in agony. She grabbed its flailing limbs and tore them from their roots. The beast's cry's echoed around her. Blood was rupturing from its body, staining the ground and covering the maddening smile on Kuro's face. Not too far behind, Kael and Tai watched the scene unfold. Kaeldenas wasn't sure how to feel but the sounds of the torturing shrieks sent chills down his spine. When the creature's body finally stilled, Kuronox fell to her knees, shoulders slightly shaking. She quickly gathered herself together, regaining her sense of self that had been plunged into the shadows of her mind.

As she walked back towards Kael, they regarded each other with a blank expression.

"My apologies…" she said before walking back into the hold; slivers of blood trailing down the side of her chin.

"I think you should rest a bit" Kael said as they made their way to the wooden lift at the back of the stronghold.

Kuro ignored him as the lift began to move.

"Okay, suit yourself…"

At the top, they made their way over to the Flight Master. Never having been to Dragonblight, the safest option was to travel on a beast who knew the exact route to their destination.

"Be patient with these young riders, this is their first unescorted flight" the Tauren explained. Both Kael and Kuro nodded. The two riders padded forward with wary expressions.

"Let's go"

Kuronox mounted her rider who proudly stood at attention. Kael and Tai soon followed. As the riders took off into the air, a foreboding sense of apprehension settled in the back of Kael's mind.

Riding over the Borean Tundra started off dull and uneventful. The two sat back slightly in their saddles and languidly watched the scene pass before them. Tai pressed against Kael's back and rubbed against him. The hunter laughed at the sensation and reached back to scratch the top of the cat's head.

Kuronox looked at them. A small sense of sadness pinched her heart. She paced a pale hand over the left side of her chest and sighed. A memory attempted to play back in her mind but she quickly swept it aside and concentrated on the incoming Geyser fields that were fast approaching.

The hissing noise of boiling water drifted in the air. And small sprouts of steam and hot water shot from the small fissures in the ground. The two gradually became more attentive as the outbursts seemed to get bigger at they travelled through. They gave each other a side glance at the same time, the sense of unease clearly mutual. Unexpectedly, a bust exploded directly below Kael that sent his rider floundering.

"Kael!"

The hunter yelled out in freight but he quickly turned to Tai and grabbed a hold of him. The cat yelped and dug his claws into his master.

Kael and Tai fell from the rider moments later and spiralled towards to the ground at an alarming speed. Kuro reined in her mount and sped after them, she realised that catching them would be suicide as her rider wouldn't be able to hold that much weight. Her brain ticked in seconds and she drove past them nearer to the ground. As the hunter and his pet collided with Kuro, the death knight used the momentum to soften their landing enough to avoid the impending fatality. The party crashed to the ground in a heap.

A heavy silence weighed down on them as they lay motionless on the ground. The moments ticked by slowly. The aftermath remained uncertain. Kuro sat up with a start, scrabbling in the shallow water to get to her feet. Her disorientation caused her to fall back down to her knees. A buzzing filled her head and she clutched her skull in reaction to the dull pain.

"K-Kael…?" she looked around and soon spotted them. Tai was on his feet nudging at his unresponsive master.

Kuro panicked and scrambled through the murky water.

"Come on you selfish bastard, you better not be dead!" she turned him over and shook him by the shoulders.

Tai growled warningly at her efforts.

Kael suddenly groaned. His face twisted in discomfort before his eyes slowly opened.

"Did you…" He took in a deep breath. "…Just call me a selfish bastard?"

Kuro chuckled breathlessly, relief washing over her powerfully. It had been a long time since she had felt like that…

She pulled him to his feet before passing him a potion. He downed it and instantly felt better, almost as if it had never happened.

"Why can't our endeavours ever go smoothly?" he stretched out the stiffness in his muscles before tending to any injuries Tai sustained from the fall.

"We should make for the Taunka camp not far from here" he said as he healed a small cut on Tai's head

"That would be wise" Kuro agreed surveying the area they landed in.

Next to the Geyser Fields was a polluted area of land caused by the construction work the Mechagnomes and their robots were undertaking. It had affected the wildlife; Hawks, Caribou, and Wolf packs were stained with the oil spilled from the pipes that lined the expanse. Not far away a monitoring robot noticed their arrival…

After finishing his task, Kael got to his feet and made a quick check on his belongings to make sure nothing had gone amiss during the incident. A scrabbling black mass caught his attention however and he seemed to know right away that something wasn't right.

"Kuro"

The Dark Knight looked to where he had pointed and saw an oil stained wolf twitching on the ground. She watched as Kael cautiously approached the animal to investigate further. A few feet away he kneeled down and examined the animal's situation. Kuro stood behind him, arms folded and watching curiously.

"Seems the oil is causing this poor creature some breathing problems" he observed as he heard the faint wheezing and rugged panting. The wolf was a fearsome site; two enlarged canines that extended below the neck and a skinny stomach that emphasised the animal's protruding muscles in its shoulders and rump.

"We shouldn't waste time; the longer we stay here the greater the chance of us being spotted so I suggest we move on. Now" Kuro said sternly, her eyes darting around at the robots that were watching them questioningly.

"But we can't just leave him in this state" Kael argued back, almost offended and the mere idea.

"Fine." Kuro said, walking towards the best with her axe ready to kill.

"Then let's put the mutt out of its misery so we can get moving"

Kael's eyes widened in horror and grabbed her from behind.

"You'll do no such thing!" he shouted.

They both struggled and fought each other before Kael shoved her to the side.

"Let me handle this!"

Kuro pushed him off and regarded him with a steadily rising temper. She watched furiously as Kael slowly edged closer to the wolf. The creature attempted to growl at him but ended up choking further. Its whole body tensed as it strained to take in breaths.

"I'm not here to hurt you" he said simply, raising his hands to show the wolf that he did not have a weapon on him.

Unfortunately the wolf began to struggle more causing more distress to its already increasing state of suffering. Kael immediately drew back and sighed frustrated. There was no way the animal was going to let him get near enough to help without inflicting more pain with just his presence alone. Tranquilising the wolf would just worsen its already deteriorating heart rate. The only option left to him was to quickly tame the beast.

He looked down at Tai with a knowing expression. The cat suddenly took off and disappeared into the mist. His attention quickly came back to the wolf.

"Try to stay calm; I just want to help you"

Kael kneeled in the shallow water and extended his arms forward. He looked directly into the wolf's piecing gold eyes. Once eye contact was made we closed his eyes and reached out with his mind to touch the wolf's consciousness. Searching in the dark, he found the outer barriers to the wolf's mind and found the defences fragile. Even just brushing the contact caused the wall to tremble. Clearly the wolf was in a worse off state than he first thought. It was then that he began to worry if this creature was even going to make it.

"If you can hear me" Kael said "I want you to know that I only wish to help you"

In response, a crack opened in the wall. He smiled inwardly.

"That's right, don't be afraid."

The crack grew until it was big enough for Kael to step through. When his mind finally touched the core of the wolf, a bright light shattered the rest of the wall, leaving the wolf's mind completely open. Their minds finally melded together, creating a bond that only death itself could break.

As soon as Kael opened his eyes, the wolf's hard expression was already softening, the quivering slowing and its distress clearly calming. He smiled at his small victory. It was short lived however as his awareness kicked in and realised that Kuro was in the middle of fighting off two robots, her horrid ghoul by her side. He jumped to his feet and unsheathed his Heartstriker bow from his back. The terracotta weapon was large but slender in shape. The burnt red limbs formed the heads of dragons; a perfect weapon for a hunter.

"Ah, so good of you to join me!" Kuro grunted from the effort to block a powerful swing from the android's appendage.

"Like I would miss a good fight!" Kael smirked as he immediately released a volley of arrows upon an incoming group of Mechagnomes.

Kuro managed to bring down her opponent but was knocked to ground by the second robot that had succeeded killing her ghoul. Before a large metal arm descended upon her, she rolled off to the side to avoid the hit.

Kael sent an arrow flying its way stunning the robot long enough for Kuro to get to her feet. She gripped her axe with both hands before bringing it down upon the robot severing the machine in half.

Kael was forced to repeatedly jump back as the Mechagnomes got advanced closer to him. His newfound companion was too weak to even get to its feet let alone fight. The wolf watched helplessly as his master fought with great effort. He sent out traps towards the group to successfully stop them in their tracks so he could gain more distance from them. Kuro finally came to his aid, attacking them at close range. Managing to deter their attention from Kael, she began inflicting painful diseases upon her enemies. They quaked with the pain, their life quickly beginning to drain from them.

"Move!"

Kuro lunged to the side to avoid the finishing touches that was realised rapidly from Kael's bow. The Mechanomes were dispatched in seconds; falling to the ground lifeless.

The only sound that filled the outcome was their heavy breathing. They both straightened their postures and gazed at each other with tired looks. Once breathing was slowed the nodded to each other. No injuries were inflicted this time.

Kael immediately ran to the wolf that was now unconscious on the ground. He checked the pulse and heart rate, both still there but worryingly faint. Kuro regarded the scene distantly for that same nip of sorrow tinged her heart. She swallowed thickly.

"We need to hurry" Kael simply stated before slinging the wolf over his shoulder.

The weight of the wolf seemed to have no staining effect on him.

He summoned Equuleus who cuffed his hooves anxiously. He heaved the wolf over the horse's shoulders before mounting him.

"Well? Come on!"

Kuro snapped out of her thoughts. She gave the hunter a deathly glare before summoning Androcles.

A short distance away they landed in the Taunka camp where Kael called over some of the healing specialists. He lifted the wolf from his steed and carried him into a nearby hut. Kuro stayed outside.

She took a moment to look around the small camp. It consisted of a few wooden huts and one main building in the centre. She watched the Taunka as they went about their business; natives of Northrend, distant cousins of the Tauren and stoic by nature. She concluded that they were a race she could befriend easily. She walked around aimlessly for some time, watched by the Taunka who looked on at her with quiet interest.

Just as the sun was beginning to set, Kael finally emerged from the hut with an unreadable expression.

"Well?"

"Seems he'll be okay" a small smile reached his lips.

"Well that's…fine"

"Are you alright?"

Kuro looked at her feet and said nothing for a moment.

"I apologise for attempting a more violent course of action"

Kael raised his eyebrows.

"There's no need for an apology, you saved my life and I haven't even thanked you yet…"

It was Kuro's turn to raise her eyebrows.

"Thank you" he said earnestly.

"Anytime"

They nodded to each other in understanding before they turned to enter the hut.

Inside, the wolf had been cleaned from all the oil that had marred its fur to reveal its natural dark coat. He was sleeping soundly on a wooden table; it's breathing back to normal. Kael sat down on a small stool by the table and took one of its immense paws into his hands.

"He should be fine in the morning" he said, taking one of his hands to thread through the beast's wild fur.

Kuro nodded noticing two beds by the back wall.

"So…" she began "what do you intend to call him?"

She wasn't sure why she would even be interested in the first place.

"Not sure yet…"

There was silence as Kuro watched Kael caress the wolf fondly, a tender smile across his face.

"Ace" he suddenly said.

"Excuse me?"

"His name…I'll call him Ace"


End file.
